Home / Browse / Recent Acquisitions / On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection,
DARWIN, Charles.
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection,
Or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life...
Fourth edition, eighth thousand. The first edition was published in 1859. This is by far Darwin's best known and most important book and has justly been described by Horblit as "the most influential scientific work of the 19th century" and by Freeman as "the most important biological book ever written". This fourth edition of 1,500 copies was again extensively altered. It is the first in which the date of the first edition, as given on the half-title verso, is corrected to November 24th. The distinctive green cloth case is the same in general as the previous editions, though the spine lettering in this variant has ORIGIN and SPECIES in italic.
Octavo. Publisher's green sand-grain cloth, covers blocked in blind with a decorative frame, spine lettered in gilt, dark green coated endpapers. Illustrated with one folding diagram. Bookseller's ticket to front pastedown, contemporary ownership inscription to half-title. Cloth a little rubbed and marked, occasional light spots to contents. An excellent copy.
